Events calendar

This year looks set to be one of our busiest and most exciting yet. There’s so much to experience this year, from demonstrations of letter carving, to talks by renowned artists and studio visits, that the best way to not miss out is to sign up to our mailing list and we will keep you up to date.

Exhibition information

We are drawn to capture a memory. For centuries, we have commemorated and mourned the passing of lives through memorials. Presenting a time capsule of beautiful memorials drawn and carved by hand by leading letter carvers, this exhibition will show how individual lives can be celebrated with sensitive design and beautiful lettering. The exhibition is designed to uplift and to prompt us to consider how we would like to be remembered.

We will present the working drawings and designs of lettering artists, as well as original works from our Art & Memory collection. Among the exhibits on display will be the memorial artwork created with the running vest of Stephen Lawrence, kindly loaned by the Lawrence family.

Behind the scenes of the 'Alphabet Museum' exhibition

THIS TALK IS NOW FULL

Join our curator, Eric Marland, who will share the story of the inspiration for the collection, talk about the significance of the works on display and give an overview of the development of our alphabet - perhaps humankind's greatest invention.

Exhibition info

The Alphabet Museum presents a collection of work, much of it newly commissioned, that reaches back to the ancient beginnings of the alphabet and illustrates the connections between symbols and sounds, the roundabout routes from hieroglyphs to the letters we use today and the myriad ways in which skilled letter carvers work with and manipulate the ’other’ tools of their trade – the letters of the alphabet. The exhibition includes carvings, drawings, glass and woodwork, systems of codes, Greek, Roman and Hebrew alphabets and axe work.

Visit our newsletter page to read the artists' statements about their work.

Book tickets

Event info

Tolpuddle Manor dates from 1656 and is the home of Julian Francis, a long-term supporter of the charity.

It boasts one of the most important private collections of lettering on stone. Join us for a private tour of the garden with its 1.5 acres arranged on three levels with substantial yew hedges, large borders and trees including a large copper beech and a Judas Tree. You will encounter lettering on stone dotted around the garden, including work by David Kindersley, Gary Breeze, Tom Perkins, and Teucer Wilson. Julian’s collection also includes sculptures by Peter Randall-Page and Mary Spencer Watson.

Artist Ayako Furano, who has taken up a Journeyman Scheme through the Lettering Arts Trust and is a recipient of a Harriet Frazer bursary, will demonstrate the timeless craft of carving throughout the day.

Visitor info

Tea, coffee, wine and light refreshments will be served. Tickets are £8 to Friends of the Lettering Arts Trust, and £10 to other guests. For further information telephone 01728 688 393

Exhibition info

Chelsea Physic Garden hosts “An Elixir of Letters,” a unique collaboration between the Chelsea Physic Garden and the Lettering Arts Trust. This wonderful exhibition celebrates the theme of drink, and features works in stone, slate, and metal inspired by plants that are the ingredients in teas, tisanes, wines, cordials, beers, and herbal brews. It is a show that will slake the thirst of art lovers and gardening enthusiasts alike.

“An Elixir of Letters” features standing stones and sculptures, sundials and ornaments created by 15 leading letter carving artists who took inspiration from the historic Chelsea Physic Garden to create works for this enchanting exhibition. The works featured celebrate the theme of Drink with inscriptions of poetry, drinking songs, and recipes.

The artists showing their inspiring works at this beautiful garden in the heart of Chelsea include Martin Cook, Annet Stirling, Karim Lahham, Alyosha Moeran, and Charlotte Howarth.